Document information

Physical location:

A251 Gunn correspondence, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 55.05.20

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ronald Gunn, 1855-05-20. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/55-05-20>, accessed July 4, 2025

Melbourne, 70. Collin Street East
20. May 1855.
My dear Sir
It was a great pleasure to me to receive last night your kind letter, dated the 12th May.
1
Letter not found.
— I have to thank you most heartily for the trouble you have taken, notwithstanding your manyfold occupations, to comply so speedily and kindful with my wishes.
2
See M to R. Gunn, 21 April 1855.
For the spicilegium
3
M was presumably referring to J. Hooker (1847) in which a number of Gunn's collections were described.
I am also very much obliged, for altho' in Walpers rep. & annales
4
Walpers (1842-8); Walpers (1848-71).
these diagnoses are reprinted, still such a fascicle as you obligingly sent is so useful on journeys to refer to. I beg to send in return by this mail the first fascicle of the Melb. phil. transact.,
5
Transactions of the Philosophical Society of Victoria, vol. 1, pp. 1-33 was issued between 18 September and 22 November 1854. See Aston (1984).
which you possibly might not have got and shall feel much pleasure to forward the others also, which now at length are passing through the press.
By a somewhat close examination of my
Umbelliferae

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from the alps I observed, that I confused O. Colensoi with O. sessiliflora. Of the latter I have not yet got a diagnosis, but am happy to learn, that Mr Archer
6
William Archer.
will be so kind to let me have his Fl. N.Z.,
7
J. Hooker (1853-5).
by which I shall get acquainted with this plant. But I must confess, that I have been at a loss of finding trustworth characters in the established species. My herbarium is rich in intermediate forms. The description which you furnished of
Pozoopsis

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is of the highest importance to me, for it proves to me, that my new genus of
Umbelliferae

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from Mount Coskiusko
8
Kosciuszko.
is totally distinct from it, belonging to
Hydrocotyleae

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. We have nothing here of
Mulineae

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but
Diplaspis

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.
Although I am daily expecting from my bookseller the Icones of Hooker, Endl. gen
9
W. Hooker (1836-54); Endlicher (1836-40).
and several other works, I should be yet extremly obliged to you, if you would prevail on Dr Milligan to show me the very great favor of letting me have his Endlichers genera , of which he according to Prof. Harvey possesses 2 copies. Could I also get the supplements
10
Endlicher (1842-50).
I shall be delighted. Dr Milligan might then send the book to one of his friends here, to whom I will pay the amount for it at delivery, or I will send the price, if he adresses it to me, at once by the next mail.
I am much indebted to you for your kind promise of lending me some of your books. — Accepting this kind offer, I would be delighted to have a look on flora antarctica, the phanerogamic part.
11
J. Hooker (1844-7) was not arranged Phanerogam/Cryptogam but island by island.
— I ordered this work more than two years ago for our public library and it is not yet arrived. Is it not disheartening? I expect this work also daily, but still if it not causes to much inconvenience to you please, my dear Sir, let me have it for a very few weeks.
Finally I must trouble you with an enquire of
Orites Milligani

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; knowing this species only by name I beg to enclose a fragment of the species from Mount Hotham,
12
Now Mt Feathertop, Vic.
which, if not identical with Mr Dr. Milligan's plant will be new (O. planifolia msc.)
13
Named with limited description in B55.08.01, p. 236, the printed version of M to W. Hooker, 22 January 1855.
It gives me much pleasure to send you also this time my second annual report.
14
B54.12.01.
The first
15
B53.10.01.
you will have received. As soon as the third
16
B55.11.01.
is out, it will be also forwarded to you. Are you particularly fond of certain families of plants, please let me know which they are and I will make a parcel up for you.
Believe me, my dear Mr Gunn
to be your most devoted servant
Ferd. Mueller
Ron. Gunn Esq.